I got an email from our reader here, his name is James. He is asking about any expats who home-school their kids. I was asked same inquiries before. Instead of answering him with I don’t know I want to ask here first instead. I was thinking not just James has the same some questions about home-schooling. I his is email below:
“Hello I have been following your web blog for years and I have a question? Do you know of any expats there in PI that homeschool their kids? Reason being I am looking at bringing my 9 year old son Sam with me to PI this fall.
The reason I am asking about Homeschool is I homeschool him here in the US but I want to look to bringing him to stay with me if his Mom will let me bring him to PI for a vacation for a month or two. I would like an idea on how homeschool there in PI that Expats do. I want to immerse him into starting him on a journey of living overseas from time to time.
Thanks and have a good day”
I am recalling who do I know that home-schools their kids here. So far the people that I know that home-school already left the Philippines. I don’t have any way of contacting them again. So when James asked me about it I immediately told him that I might make an article out from his query. Which I did now. I’m pretty sure someone from our readers experience home-schooling here in the Philippines. At least they could share here the experiences they have on home-schooling in the Philippines. They could share also the place where to get the books, pamphlets and other materials needed for it. They might also know the circle/group of parents that the kids were on the same grades levels that they can have play time/activities for their kids. Not sure if only in Manila where to get the materials. As everything here in the Philippines almost all will be coming from Manila. Hopefully availability of materials can be found on other cities in the Philippines.
Maybe also go to the Department of Education, ask them if they know of a place or people that home-school kids. If they have communities that they know of that registered to the department. Do they have materials/books that specially for for home-school kids and that accredited to the department of education. I think, the department of education people have all the knowledge that we are having in our minds right now.
Maybe one other place to go and ask will be the tutorial place. So many tutorial places near the schools. I had a feeling that one of them might have the knowledge about home-schooling or they might know of somebody that home schools their kids.
I’ve heard of many actors and actresses here that were home-schooled. And hearing from them on TV they had places to go to get their materials for the semester or school year. They just didn’t indulge where to go though. With them they might have tutors that get for them.
If any of you knows or already home-schooling kids please feel free to share your experiences of home schooling kids here. I really appreciate your help for James and other people that have same question with him.
Cheers!
Good Morning Feyma,
I would think that the first thing to ask is: does the current home schooling program allow the program through the Internet? If so, then it would be an easy process to just continue with the same school.
If that is not the case, I would advise the person to do a general search on the Internet (as I just did) and he will find many home schooling resources that will allow the student to continue his USA education through the Internet..
I would think that it would be important that the student have the ability to transfer all his credits to the new school.
Understanding the age of the student, I (personally) would have the home schooling be done through a USA school and not a local school so that if, for some reason, the student would go back to the USA, it would not disrupt his studies.
I think the best way to provide the cross-cultural experience would be through selective choices of new local friends for the child.
Later on, if the child will be staying (for sure) on a permanent basis, then a transfer to a private/international school would be in order.
I hope that this gives some ideas to get the comments started.
Have a Great Day and stay Blessed!
Jocelyn
Hi Jocelyn – Thank you so much for the good info. I will pass along what you just said here or he might already reading what you just wrote here.
Thank you again and have a pleasant day!
Hi Feyma,
My pleasure!
Have you had any contact with Paul T. in Bataan? Have seen that his area has been very hard hit by the rains. Hope he and his family are safe and dry from the rains.
How about our other readers? Any news on there situation in the week of rains?
Jocelyn
Hi Jocelyn – Thank you for the concerned. Paul T. and family are okay. Luckily his place is not affected by the flooding. Thank God. I think his house is on a hill top.
Yeah to all our readers here that’s been affected by the flooding in Luzon, our thoughts and prayers for you. Stay strong.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Cheers!
Hi Feyma, I home schooled my kids here in the Philippines for 9 years, and before that in the States. If the man wanting to bring his son for a vacation just brings along the books, he can easily just do school while he is here. He will just need to make time in his day for school and time to correct work and make sure his son is understanding his work. Not difficult, should take 2-3 hours per school day, with some additional reading time here and there.
People who want to home school their kids just need to plan ahead. I used curriculum from the States and brought it or sent it in a Balakibayan box as needed. The local school system doesn’t care what we foreigners do in this regard. A good curriculum is all you need to prepare your child for other educational options later, since in most cases the child can take an entrance exam or some standardized tests to assure the school of his grade level or academic competence.
If you want to work within the DepEd system, it is a little more complicated. Manila has quite a lot of home schoolers and there are several schools which will work with home schoolers to meet the local requirements.
I hope this is helpful!
Hi americanlola – Thank you for the good and informative information as always. Now I remember you are one of the person that I know that home schooled their kids. Good suggestions you have there for James.
Like what he said on his email that he is reading this site. Hopefully he will be seeing the post today and reads the comments from all of you guys.
Thank you again Luanne for the information. I really appreciates your input. Take care and God bless!
Glad to add my two cents! I’d be glad to help others if they have questions about homeschooling. There are a lot of online options now that were not available before, but good internet is a prerequisite.
I think that the most important thing is a desire and commitment on the part of whoever is going to be doing the actual schooling. It isn’t good enough for the father to think it is a good idea, if the wife will be doing the schooling and is not excited about it, for whatever reason. I loved doing it and enjoyed having so much time and input with my kids before they left home.
Hi americanlola – Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts regarding homeschooling. You’re a pro on that. I really appreciate you helping out James here with his dilemma.
I totally agree with everything you just said. To be honest I so admire people have patience in teaching. I just don’t have the teacher instinct in me. I can really see in you being a good teacher.
At least James had the heads up here on what to do. Thanks again Luanne.
Have a wonderful day!
Here is a good resource I started to look at when I was considering the option of homeschooling in the Philippines:
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/getting-started-in-homeschooling-the-first-ten-steps.php
It starts with finding local resources in your home state.
Good luck!
Thank you so much John for the links. I’m sure it will help James a lot.
Have a great weekend!
For US parents, there is also an organization K12.com that provides individual, home school, housebound education, or other needs, that is affiliated and or accredited with the public school system that is available at no cost to the parent since is it apparently funded through the standard school systems. It has the benefit of allowing tailored learning to help with students that learn better one way or the other.
I have not personally used it, but the feed back from parents that have used it has been positive.
If the parents choose home schooling for other reasons, e.g. religious, there are a number of organized and accredited that meet these needs also but have an organized and structured curriculum so that the students do not miss important parts of the education as well as having accountability.
Best wishes
LeRoy
Hi LeRoy Miller – Thank you so much for the good info that you shared for James here. I really appreciate very much. I’m so glad you guys gave good input here for James.
Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend.
If peer contact in a socially or intellectually undesirable environment which cannot be avoided is the reason for homeschooling, I would agree that homeschooling may be the solution. However, by homeschooling your child throughout childhood and adolescence under desirable conditions, you may be unjustifiably depriving your child of peer contact that he/she needs in order for him/her to develop into a well-rounded individual socially and emotionally. An opinion.
Hi John Reyes – Not sure the reason for James to home-school his kid. But thank you though for the thoughts and comments here.
Have a pleasant day!
Hi Feyma,
A couple of links i came across a few years back might help James.
Online Tutorial http://www.khanacademy.org
Private tutor (home) http://www.myprivatetutor.ph
Hi Chas – Thank you so much for the good links that you gave for James. Very nice of you to do that. I really appreciate your thoughts.
Always good to see you here. Have a wonderful weekend!
hi feyma,
i am homeschooling my alex this year.
We have found a community in Tuburan Institute who is willing to adopt her for festivals and other activities but I still will teach the main lessons. Tuburan institute is a Waldorf-Steiner inspired school, the only one in mindanao. I hope this helps.
What I am trying to figure out now is how can i register Alex as a homeschooler so that when she decides to integrate back into the system, she can do so without a hassle. I heard that is possible.
Leah